Method of manipulating multiple fasteners



Aug. 7, 19 28 J. E. PERRAULT uaraon OF mmrumwme MULTIPLE mswrmsas 5Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 1.5. 1925 Ill H II II!!! II H H In uezfl'or:

. Joseph E'. Berzjauli,

Patented 7,

- UNIT-EDT iSTA TES:

PATENT OFFICE.

' Joann; a. rannaum, or wama'rowu, msacnusa'rrs, assrenoa 'ro noon mmcolumn, orwa'rnnrowmmssacnusms, a ,oonronanon or CHUSET'I'B.

My present invention relates to a method of an apparatus formanipulating multiple 4 fastener elements of the t disclosed in LettersPatent of the Unite States #1,571 8 095 granted to the HoodBubberCompany as my assignee on the 26th day ofJanuary 1926.

In an application filed by me on the 2nd day of June 1926, #113,274 Ihave disclosed 10 a method of and apparatus for making the maleelements. I q

The male elements so produced require that their bases shall be slottedto receive the tapes and thereafter they must be threaded upon the tapesand clamped thereon.

The female fasteners are likewise manufactured with closed bases whichrequire slotting before they can be assembled upon the tapes in thesamemanner.

As these elements are relativel small this presents quite a problem andt e resent invention aims to provide a metho .and

. means for rapidl economically and efliciently performing teseoperations.

The'invention includes'the novel method and means hereinafter describedand particularly defined by the appended claims.

In order that the invention may be better understood reference i made tothe acoom-' 80 panying drawings in whi ch Figure 1 is an elevation,partly in sec-' tion showing a device 'for assembling the elements upona carrier orv transfer bar or element.

36 Fig. 2 is a detail view partly in side elevation and partly insection showing .the carrier bar with a number of fastener elements inposition therein.

' Fig. 3 is anend view of the carrier bar.

Fig. 4 is a plan view illustrating the *"i%i;mean for and. manner of\transferring the fastener members from the carrier bar to the spacerbar.

5 is a cross sectional detail view on a a larger scale showing thespacer bar.

Fig.- 6 is a plan view showing the cutting of the grooves or channels inthe bases of the carrier elements.

. Fig. ,7 is a view partly in section s owing-the manner of and meansfor spreading the walls of the tape-receiving channels.

v METHOD CI IANIPULATING IULTIPLE FASTENERS.

Application fled September 15, 1926. Serial No. 185,634.

artly in elevation and Fig. 8 is a' lan view illustrating the manner ofthrea 'ng the tape in the fastener 55- elements and Fig. 9 is asectional view illustrating the pompressmg of the channel walls on theapes.

In the present va plication I have illustrated and. describe myinvention as applied to the manipulation of the male fastener elementsas produced by the machine and method disclosed by my application #113,-

.274 hereinbefore referred to but it will be 1 in the accompanyingdrawing.

Theseare placed in a receptacle 2 (Fig. 1) journaled to rotate about aninclined axis and being rotatable'by hand or otherwise. Said receptacleis provided with a plurality of blades or projections 2, which, as the.receptacle rotates, elevate the fastener elements until they drop onto adeflector plate 3 which deflects and guides them to a chute 4 fast todeflectorplate 3 and su ported at its lower end by bracket 5. The owerportion (approximatel half) of the chute is cut away or steppe toreceive the initial assemblin and transfer or carrier bar 6 providedwith a channel corresponding a proximately in shape to the sha e of theFastener elements (Fig. 3), the c ate 4.- having a corresponding guidechannel alined with the carrier or transfer bar when the latter is inthe position shown in Fig.1. 7

The carrier bar is removably supported by the cutaway portion of thechute, conveniently by providing it at the upper end with opposed s ringfingers w lch grip the 0 posite si e faces of the chute (only 1 pressthe latter upwardly against the edge of ;the chute. Sa1d plate 7 isacted on y a pair of'springs 8 encircling screws 9 passing throughopenings in the presser plate and tapped into the end walls of the chuteon each side of the carrier bar.

From the shape of the channel in Fig. 3 it will be readily observed thatonly those fasteners that are properly positioned, i. e. pointed sideup, can enter the channel, and that any others would slide down the topof the chute. The depth of the channel is such that the pointed ends ofthe fasteners which are properly positioned do not project appreciablyabove the top of the channel.

To remove any others from the chute I provide a rotating wheel 10 drivenby suitable means, such as belt 11 and the pulleys shown, from therotating hopper, to rotate in the direction indicated by the arrow, suchwheel having a grooved eriphery to permit passage of the points of theelements, and having also abutments or shoulders 10 which will contactwith misplaced elements and throw them back into the hopper.

The carrier or transfer bar having been loaded the next step is totransfer the elements to a spacing device whereby they will be spacedapart the distance they are to occupy when on the tape and which spacingbar is used for the manipulations leading up to and including theapplication to the tape.

Such spacing bar is shown in cross section in Fig. 5 and comprises amain bar 12 hav ing a toothed or comb bar 13 secured to the upper facethereof'by overlying plate 14 and tap screws 15. The spaces between theteeth are just suflicient to admit the fastener elements and the widthof the teeth corresponds to the distance apart the elements are to bespaced when applied to the tape.

The bar 12 is of greater width than bar 14 as shown in Fig. 5 and hasremovably secured to the projected face thereof by suitable means suchas tap screws 16, a plate 17 whichforms a fastener receiving channelinto which the teeth of the comb bar project transversely. Bar 12 has arebate 12 which, with the face of plate 12 forms a point receivingchannel.

For transferring the elements from the carrier bar to the spacing barthe plates, 12, 14 and 17 are removed from the comb bar and the latteris placed on its side (in inverted position from that shown in Fig. 5)in a guide way 18 while a loaded carrier or transfer bar is placed in aguide way 19 arrangedat right angles to guide way 18, and in the samehorizontal plane, the spacing bar being arranged so that its toothedportion as it is moved in the guide way 18 will travel across the end ofthe carrier bar. 11' now the spacing bar is moved to the left,

I Fig. 4. and endwise pressure applied to the row of elements in thecarrier bar channel, said elements Wlll successively be inserted in thespaces between the teeth.

A table 21 is arranged convenient to the delivery. end of guide way 18to receive the filled spacing or comb bars.

While the movement of the spacing bar might be accomplished by a merepushingl operation, I prefer to provide the guide bar with a slide 22carrying a pawl 23 adapted to engage the teeth of the comb barandcarrying also a roller 24 coacting with a cam 25 fast on a shaft journaled in suitable bearings in theguidc and actuated by hand wheel 26through the belt connections shown whereby the spacing bar isintermittently moved one space at a time.

After the spacing bar has been filled as above described the plates 14and 17 are ap-. plied as shown in Fig. 5 thereby clamping the fastenerelements in position-with their bases uppermost, and they are ready tohave said bases slotted which may be readily accomplished as shownconventionally in Fig. 6 by placing the spacing bar in a suitable guide27 and moving it past a circular metal cutting saw 28 which may bedriven in any suitable manner not necessary to be shown herein.

The saw cutsthrough the bases of the alined elements and intersects thetransverse openings and completes the fastener element by providing itwith the tape receiving slot, such completed form being shown in Fig. 7.In this form the jaws formed by the slots need spreading apart that theymay the'more readily receive the tape.

While this spreading might be accomplished by hand I prefer to provide apress having its bed block or platenv 29'provided with means forcentering and holding the spacing bar such as bars 30 and 31, and aplunger 32 operated in the usual manner and provided with an openingwedge 32 having one face perpendicular and one face inclined so that thefasteners are spread towards one side only, this being necessary inconnection with the particular shape of spacing block used as will beobvious.

After the jaws have thus been spread apart the carrier tape may bereadily'inserted. This, as is well known to those skilled in the art,comprises a tape of suitable length having a beaded edge, usually formedby folding a tape about a cord. The spacing block is preferably removedfrom the press and placed in a holder 34 shown conventionally in Fig. 8and the tape threaded through the spaced apart fasteners carried therebywith the bead lying in the openings and the edge of the tape projectingfrom the slots. The tape partially inserted is indicated at 35. Afterthe tape has thus been inserted the only remaining operation prior tothe application of the strip to the article of foot wear or other placeof use, is to clamp the elements firmly on the tape. This isaccomplished preferably by placing the spacing bar on its side in apress having its-platen 36 provided with fixed and movable guides orabutments 37 and 38 respectively, (in Fig. 9) removing the plate 17 andsubjecting 'the fasteners to the action of the presser member 39 carriedby the press plunger 40.

The upper surface of the platen 36 is inclined slightly to a horizontalplane and the face of the presser member'39 is correspondingly butreversely inclined so that after the walls of the fastener members arecompressed they incline towards each other and co-operate with theguides in the manner disclosed in my aforesaid patent. This inclinationof the platen and die face further acts to facilitate the clampingaction of the elements on the tape or stringer.

. I claim:

1. The herein described method of manipulating multiple fastenerelements of the type described which consists in cutting through thebases of the elements to form slots, widening the slots by a spreadingac tion, inserting a carrier tape, and thereafter compressing the wallsof the slots upon said ta e.

2 The herein described method ofmanipulating multiple'fastener elementswhich consists in rigidly-holding a plurality of such elements inalinement and in space relation with their bases exposed, cutting achannel in said bases, spreading the walls of said channel, andinserting 'a carrying tape in said channel while the elements are sorigidly held, and thereafter compressing the channel walls to cause themto grip the carrying tape,

3. The herein described method of'manipulating fastener elements whichconsists in feedin such elements into the receiving spaces 0 anelongated holding member, clamping them therein with their bases exposedslotting said bases while held by said member, and inserting a carriertape in said slots, removing the assembled elements and strip from theholding member, and forcing the opposed walls of the channels towardseach other to cause them to grip the tape.

4. The herein described method of manipulating fastener elements havingbases provided with transverse openings which consists inassembling andrigidly holding a plurality of said elements with their openings inalinement and bases exposed, cutting a slotlongitudinally of the row ofelements in the bases thereof to intersect the openings, and threadingthe beaded edge of a carrying tape through the alined openings while theelements are so rigidly held,

and thereafter compressing the opposed walls of the slot upon said tape.

5. The herein described method of manipulating fastener elements whichconsists in feeding said elements into a carrier bar, transferring themsuccessively from the carrier bar to the receiving recesses of a holdingbar, clamping them in the holding bar with their bases exposed, cuttinglongitudinally of the assembled elements to provide slots in said bases,spreading the walls of said slots, inserting a tape in said slots, andthereafterv compressing the walls of the slots upon said tape.

6. The 'herein' described method of manipulating fastener elements ofthe type described which consists in automatically feeding said elementsto carrier bar, successively transferring the elements therefrom to aspacing bar, bifurcating the bases of theelements while so held,spreading the bifurcated portions,-inserting a carrier tape therein, andcompressing the bifurcated portions to clamp the tape.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature.

JOSEPH E. PERRAULT.

